Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-03-05

wishes and their ambition to direct
them in this important matter rath-
er than the qualification ofthe child.
How often have you seen a parent
in his fondness and pride determine
to make q lawyer out of a boy who
was intended BY nature to be q black
smith. Not the least qualification
does he display for the important
position for which he is destined but
the parent in his blind affection, con-
tinues to spend hundreds of dollars
in trying to qualify his son for po-
sition in which he is sure to make q
failure.
This leads me now logically to the
main object of this paper; viz: how
much and what kind of education is
is best suited to the individual to be
educated Our social fabric is slow
growth, the development of centu-
ries. The laws governing its growth
are just as natural as those that ex-
ist in the physical or moral world,
and when they are disregarded fail
ure and punishment follow just as
naturally as in any other sphere OF
life.
The construction of society is of
ten aptly compared to building.
For the purposes we have in view
we shall call a four story building.
The foundation rests upon what we
may call the lower classes, and the
fourth or highest story may be com
pared to the professional class, the
intervening three, the farmer, the
mechanic and the merchant. These
three classes, the farmer, the me-
chanic, and the merchant, and the
most important element in every
community. The farmer produces
the food we eat. The mechanic
builds the houses we live in. The
merchant supplies all classes with
the clothing they wear, and the
things they need. These three class
es are not only most important, but
also most numerous, as compared
with professional classes, and they
may therefore be called the industrial
classes. Without them there would
be little or no need of the profession
al classes.
1t is singular to notice how anxi-
Gus many parents are to place their
children in the professional class.
This is especially noticeable among
the colored people. We attempt to
construct our social perstructure
with the foundation and the fourth
story, neglecting the other three al
most entirely. This is fatal mis-
take that has brought comparative
failure on us.
We must build as all other races
have built. We are of the founda-
ton, and we should expect to erect
our building, our social fabric, ac-
cording to the natural laws of de.
velopment. If we are ever to rise
from the foundation, we must make
farmers, and mechanics, and mer
chants, before we attempt to pro-
duce doctors and lawyers. There
should be thousand of each of the
industrial class to one of the pro-
fessial class, for those of the former
class are essential to the support of
the latter class
We permit our ambition and our
desires to control us instead of the
necessities of the situation, and we
are then surprised that we do not
make more rapid progress; whereas
if we should prepare our children in
much larger proportion as farmers,
and mechanics, and merchants, we
should obtain greater wealth by the
exercise of these industrial pursuits,
and be more successful.
>Rhe industrial classes from the
basis of every community. They are
the bone and sinew of social life.
The professional classes represent
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